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Oedipus
Oedipus was the son of the King Laius and the Queen Jocasta of Thebes. Overview Oedipus was the child of Laius and Jocasta, the ruling couple of Thebes. Eager for future-knowledge, Laius journeyed to the oracle at Delphi who gave him the most unwelcome news that his newborn son would grow up to kill his father and marry his mother. Perturbed by this news, Laius gave his new son to a herdsman and ordered him to be killed. A spike was driven through baby Oedipus' ankles (causing his ankles to become inflamed and earn him his name, which literally translates as '“Lame Foot”) and he was left on the side of Mt. Cithaeron to die. However, destiny cannot be avoided that easily and Oedipus survived, rescued by a peasant in the employ of king Polybus of Corinth. The peasant took the infant to his master, who adopted him gratefully since he and his wife Merope had been unable to conceive. Polybus and Merope raised Oedipus as their own, but one night at a public feast, a drunken man shouted at Oedipus that he had no idea who his father was. Although his adoptive parents implored Oedipus to ignore the man's ravings, he could not put his mind to rest, and Oedipus resolved to travel to the Oracle at Delphi and ask her the identity of his parents. The Oracle, however, did not tell Oedipus who his parents were, rather revealing the disturbing prophecy that he would couple with his mother and kill his father. Resolving that this should never come to pass, Oedipus did not go back to Corinth, to those he believed to be his parents, but rather headed for Thebes. On his journey, Oedipus came to a crossroads and was faced with a carriage driving the opposite direction. The driver struck Oedipus to get him to move out of the way, but this enraged the young man, who proceeded to fight and kill the driver and the man he was transporting - King Laius. Having unwittingly fulfilled half of the prophecy, Oedipus carried on to Thebes. Unfortunately his chariot had broken down forcing him to hoof it the rest of the way into town. It was during this time that he ran into Ithicles who was also searching for Thebes. The Sphinx, a terrible monster with the body of a lion, wings of an eagle and head of a woman had been sent by the gods to terrorise Thebes as punishment for Laius' misdeeds concerning the rape of a prince of a neighbouring kingdom. This fiend would ask any passing traveller her riddle, and if they were unable to answer correctly, she would devour them. Since no man had been able to guess the answer, Thebes was effectively cut off from the outside world. When Oedipus and Ithicles came to Thebes, the Sphinx asked them her riddle, which Ithicles answered. Angered when he revealed that he had heard the riddle before the Sphinx attacked him and the two disappeared into a chasm. Upon arriving in Thebes Oedipus informed them that the Sphinx was gone omitting the fact that it was Ithicles who had defeated her upon hearing of a reward. The people of Thebes were so grateful to Oedipus that they proclaimed him their king, since Laius had been mysteriously killed on the road. They also suggested that he marry his widow, Jocasta, to solidify his position as ruler of the city. Thus the prophecy of the Delphic oracle came to pass Category:Continuum-59343921